The Leapmotor T03 for less than 20,000 euros thanks to the Bonus?

Designed to protect our market from Chinese invasions, the Ecological Bonus should, however, benefit the Leapmotor T03.

Stellantis and Leapmotor have finally received all the necessary authorizations to create a joint venture, Leapmotor International, managed by Stellantis at 51/49, and are preparing to launch the T03 model in European markets. But rather than importing the model from China, why not manufacture it in Europe?

Because this is not a new model but a car that can simply be assembled from an existing stock of parts. We tested it exclusively in October 2022! It was even briefly for sale on the Leapmotor France website, which now only presents it and offers test drives.

Under Stellantis’ Good Star

In early 2023, Leapmotor relied on the Toulouse-based importer Eve France to distribute its range of electric vehicles in France. Priced at 25,990 euros, the T03 dropped to 20,990 euros after the bonus deduction, and even to 18,990 euros for those who could benefit from the super bonus of 7,000 euros. The good old days when we didn’t check the identification papers of an electric car to grant it a nice bonus. At this price, it positioned itself as one of the most affordable electric cars on the market. However, it has since lost its bonus, and its price then became insufficient to compete with the queen of small electric cars, the Dacia Spring. Affordable and well-crafted, the little Leapmotor had everything going for it except for a name and a network capable of reassuring potential customers.

18 months later, here it is distributed by the giant Stellantis, which inevitably changes the game. Leapmotor International plans to launch its operations in Europe in September 2024 with the establishment of 200 points of sale by the end of the year. But that’s not all! According to Reuters, production of the small Chinese car has reportedly begun at Stellantis’ Polish plant in Tychy. This allows them to bypass customs fees and, most importantly, benefit from the Ecological Bonus. Imagine this well-finished car with a friendly look coming in well below 20,000 euros, making it the cheapest electric car on the market. What a comeback!

EXCLUSIVE TEST: LEAPMOTOR T03